% SCHOOL YEAR.
% >> ABSOLUTELY.
% APPRECIATE THE TIME.
% >> TONIGHT WE BRING YOU THE
% FIRST OF TWO INTERVIEWS WITH THE
% GENERAL ELECTION CANDIDATES FOR
% THE WISCONSIN SECRETARY OF
% STATE.
% FIRST INCUMBENT SECRETARY
% DEMOCRAT DOUG LA FOLLETTE.
% HE'S HELD THE OFFICE FOR MORE
% THAN FOUR DECADES AND ALSO
% SERVED BRIEFLY IN THE STATE
% SENATE.
% LA FOLLETTE WON LAST TUESDAY'S
% PRIMARY ELECTION AND NOW FACES
% REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER
% REPRESENTATIVE AMY LOUDENBECK IN
% THE GENERAL.
% THE DUTIES OF THE SENT OF STATE
% INCLUDE AFFIXING THE STATE SEAL
% TO ACTS OF THE GOVERNOR AND
% PRESERVATION OF MUNICIPAL
% RECORDS, BLUE BOOKS AND STATE
% STATUTES.
% SECRETARY OF STATE IS ALSO A
% MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF
% COMMISSIONERS OF PUBLIC LANDS.
% DOUG LA FOLLETTE JOINS US NOW.
% THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
% >> YES, GOOD EVENING, WONDERFUL
% TO BE ON TV AND TALK TO
% EVERYBODY IN WISCONSIN.
% >> YOU'VE HELD THIS OFFICE FOR A
% LONG TIME.
% WHY SHOULD YOU KEEP IT?
% >> WELL, AT THE MOMENT THERE IS
% A SPECIAL REASON AND THAT'S
% BECAUSE THE TRUMPITE REPUBLICANS
% ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE TRYING TO
% TAKE CONTROL OF SECRETARY OF
% STATE OFFICES SO THEY CAN MAYBE
% FIDDLE WITH THE ELECTION IN
% 2024.
% IF THEIR HERO RUNS AGAIN.
% AND IN WISCONSIN WE HAVE THE
% SAME SITUATION.
% MY OPPONENT'S MAIN REASON FOR
% RUNNING IS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE
% THE ELECTION FUNCTION FROM AN
% INDEPENDENT COMMISSION TO HER IN
% THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
% >> AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT
% MOVING THE ADMINISTRATION OF
% ELECTIONS AND OVERSIGHT OF
% ELECTIONS TO THE SECRETARY OF
% STATE'S OFFICE AS OPPOSED TO
% WHERE IT CURRENTLY RESIDES?
% >> I THINK IT'S A HORRIBLE IDEA.
% MORE THAN 50 YEARS AGO WE
% DECIDED TO TAKE POLITICS OUT OF
% OF THE ELECTION PROCESS AND WE
% CREATED AN ELECTION BOARD OF I
% BELIEVE FIVE RETIRED JUDGES, AND
% THEY DID A GOOD JOB FOR MANY
% YEARS.
% THEN THE REPUBLICANS GOT UPSET
% DURING THE WALKER RECALL AND
% THEY ABOLISHED THE BOARD AND SET
% UP A COMMISSION, WHICH HAS BEEN
% OK.
% BUT CERTAINLY BETTER THAN HAVING
% AN ELECTED POLITICIAN.
% NOW SHE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE
% CONTROL OF THE ELECTION PROCESS
% AS AN ELECTED PARTISAN
% POLITICIAN.%THAT'S A BAD IDE
A.
% WE NEED INDEPENDENCE TO PROTECT
% THE INTEGRITY OF THE VOTES IN
% OUR STATE.
% >> IN TERMS OF YOUR TENURE AS
% SECRETARY OF STATE OVER THE
% YEARS, WHAT WOULD YOU DESCRIBE
% AS YOUR BEST RESULTS IN OFFICE?
% >> WELL, I HAVE TO SAY THAT THE
% WORST THING IS WHAT HAPPENED TO
% THE OFFICE BECAUSE OF
% REPUBLICANS.%TWO REPUBLICAN G
OVERNORS DECIDED
% THEY WANTED MORE CONTROL AND
% MORE POWER SO THEY TOOK MANY
% IMPORTANT DUTIES AWAY FROM THE
% OFFICE AND PUT THEM UNDER THE
% CONTROL OF THE GOVERNOR.
% ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY SECRETARY
% OF STATES DO CERTAIN IMPORTANT
% BASICALLY BUSINESS-RELATED
% FUNCTIONS, CORPORATIONS AND
% TRADEMARKS, SO FORTH.
% THOSE SHOULD BE PUT BACK IN THE
% OFFICE.
% I'VE TRIED SEVERAL TIMES TO DO
% THAT.
% GOVERNOR EVERS, HIS CREDIT,
% TRIED TO RESTORE SOME OF THEM.
% BUT THE REPUBLICANS SLICED IT
% FROM THE BUDGET.
% SO IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO WISE UP
% AND MAKE WISCONSIN LIKE THE REST
% OF THE COUNTRY SO WE CAN COMPETE
% FAIRLY AND HAVE THE SAME SYSTEM
% FOR SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE.
% >> YOU'VE STATED THAT YOU WANT
% TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR BULLY PULPIT
% ROLE.
% HOW SO?
% >> WELL, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR
% PEOPLE TO KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON
% IN TERMS OF THE EFFORT TO
% MANIPULATE THE ELECTION PROCESS,
% NOT ONLY IN WISCONSIN BUT ACROSS
% THE COUNTRY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT
% IT WHENEVER I HAVE AN
% OPPORTUNITY.
% THEY ARE MAKING PROGRESS IN
% ARIZONA, IN MICHIGAN, THE
% GOVERNOR OF PENNSYLVANIA IS
% WORKING ON IT, SO THEY WILL BE
% ABLE TO ACTUALLY OVERTURN THE
% VOTES IN THEIR STATES IF THEY
% CHOOSE TO.
% THAT IS A HORRIBLE IDEA AND
% WISCONSIN NEEDS TO KEEP THE
% INDEPENDENT NATURE OF OUR
% ELECTION ADMINISTRATION.
% >> WHY DO YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN
% BEAT YOUR REPUBLICAN CHALLENGER?
% >> WELL, BECAUSE I'VE DONE A
% CAMPAIGN AND I'VE BEEN ELECTED
% MANY TIMES.
% I THINK PEOPLE TRUST ME.
% I'VE BEEN AROUND A WHILE, THEY
% KNOW ME AND THEY TRUST ME AND
% THIS BECOMES PARTICULARLY
% IMPORTANT IN THIS ELECTION
% BECAUSE AS I'VE SAID, IT'S ALL
% ABOUT THE INTEGRITY OF THE
% ELECTION PROCESS AND WHEN I SAY
% WHAT I'VE SAID THIS EVENING
% ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING
% PARTISAN POLITICS OUT OF THE
% ELECTION PROCESS THEY WILL
% LISTEN.%THEY WILL BELIEVE DO
UG LA
% FOLLETTE.%THERE ARE A LOT OF
LIES, A LOT
% OF, YOU KNOW, FAKE FACTS GOING
% ON NOW THE LAST FEW YEARS IN
% POLITICS.%BUT PEOPLE, I THIN
K, TRUST DOUG
% LA FOLLETTE TO BE A STRAIGHT
% SHOOTER AND TELL IT LIKE IT IS.
% THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO.
% >> ALL RIGHT.
% SECRETARY DOUG LA FOLLETTE,
% THANKS VERY MUCH FOR JOINING US.